Valença

The double-walled fortress is Valenca's crowning glory. Walk the ramparts for a complete circuit, looking down over the Rio Minho to Spain on one side and across the Portuguese countryside on the other. The walls are thick, the bastions are imposing, and the gates are dramatic. Inside, the cobbled streets have a lived-in charm with small shops and restaurants. The fortress was designed to withstand siege and it remains formidable. Allow at least an hour to walk the walls.

The Ponte Internacional connects Valenca to Tui across the Rio Minho. You can walk across at any time (there are no border checks). The bridge is about 400 metres long and the river flows wide and slow beneath it. Many pilgrims cross in the morning and head straight into Tui, but you can also walk across in the evening for dinner in Spain and walk back. The bridge is one of the most symbolic moments on the Camino Portugues: the step from one country to another.

From the ramparts of Valenca, you can see Tui across the river. The cathedral of Tui, the bridge connecting the two countries, and the Spanish hills beyond are all clearly visible. Tomorrow you cross that bridge. For pilgrims who started in Lisbon or Porto, this is the moment when Spain stops being an abstract destination and becomes visible, tangible, and close. The border is a bridge. The Camino continues on the other side.

This is your last night in Portugal. Order the bacalhau, the leitao (roast suckling pig), or the rojoes. Drink Vinho Verde. Eat pasteis de nata. The food in Spain will be excellent too, but it will be different. Galician cuisine shares roots with Portuguese cooking but has its own character. Tonight, enjoy Portugal one last time. The restaurants inside the fortress are atmospheric and serve good traditional Minho food.